Riverdale and The Lone Wolf Jughead Fanfiction
by Roseaurum
Summary: "How does it feel to be the center of attention?" A girl with raven black hair asked me. She looked at me with her winged eyes in anticipation, like she wanted to know my thoughts. With a simple shrug, I gave her my answer. I feel like I'm going to vomit. My eyes trailed through each group member until I stopped on a pair that held a form of sorrow that I haven't seen in a long
1. The Day I Came to Town

I never thought moving to a new town such as Riverdale would make my life a living hell.

"What are the odds that I can get out of this town as soon as possible," I spoke into my cell phone. The air swirling my hair around felt like ice. It was the beginning of December, and I was standing in front of my new house. The outside looked like it had been freshly painted in a coat of red paint. I always hated that color. The color always left a bad taste in my mouth. And I'd rather not have the house stick out like a sore thumb. But there wasn't a lot that I could do to change it now. My parents could barely afford to move in the first place, let alone repaint the house.

"With the way things are, the odds are not in your favor." A high-pitched voice boomed through the phone. This was Ashlyn, one of my best friends. When my parents decided that we needed to move, I was separated from her. I promised her that I would call her and keep her updated on what's going on in my life. After all, I did have to move across the country to a small town called Riverdale.

Why couldn't my mom move to a big city where there are a lot of jobs? Why Riverdale?

I released a huge sigh, the air turning into a frosty white as it escaped my lips. "Well, crap. I was hoping my odds were better." I turned my gaze towards the street. At any moment, my mother would be speeding down the road and slam on her breaks in a hurry to get to me so she could let me into the house.

She had forgotten to give me a key to my own house.

I don't blame her though. After all, I did drive myself here, and I haven't heard much from my mother since she arranged all of this. My mother is a busy person. She has a million things on her plate, especially with the way money was coming through. Let me say, it was barely enough to afford a milkshake.

"Think of it this way. At least your out of the drama back here. You can start fresh there." Ashlyn paused for a moment, making it appear as if she was thinking. "And there's always a possibility that you might meet a guy that truly cares about you, unlike the people back in Vincent."

Yeah, she has a point. I just hope the people here are at least nicer than back at home.

"Good point. But I highly doubt that, especially in small towns such as Riverdale." I paused, hearing the sound of an engine in the distance. It sounded all too familiar to my moms old rusty truck. "Ashlyn, I gotta go. My mom's here."

"Okay, my dude. I'll call you later." I didn't hear the beep of an ending call over the sound of my mom's truck pulling into the driveway. The engine died with a rattling sound as a lanky woman stepped out of the truck. Her curly brown hair was pulled back in a bun with a few strands hanging out of place. Her black jacket looked too big on her and nearly went past her butt while her brown boots clung tightly to her ankles. She looked like she was going eighty miles an hour just to get here.

"I'm so sorry sweety. I didn't know your dad dropped you off so early." My mother ran to me, embracing me in a tight claustrophobic hug.

"He didn't mom. I drove myself here." I motioned to by resting car in the driveway once she let go of me. All of my luggage was leaning against the driver's side of my door.

"Oh honey, why didn't you tell me sooner? Come on, let's get you inside. You must be freezing out here." My mom shoved her hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out a set of keys before abandoning me in the driveway. I struggled to keep up with her pace as I grabbed my stuff and headed inside the house.

I nearly hit the back of my heel on the screen door as I waddled into the house. The inside of the house looked a lot more pleasant than the outside. The kitchen had tan walls with wooden cabinets everywhere you looked. Below the cabinets were the marble countertops that had the same shade as the wooden cabinets. I dropped my stuff towards the corner of the kitchen as my mom went to the sink to wash her hands. She seemed disheveled like she met up with someone that she didn't want to see.

My mom didn't say a word as she started shuffling through the cabinets for a cutting board and a knife. She was rummaging through the fridge when I turned my attention to the window closest to me. Part of my vision was cut off by the blinds over the window. I had to push the individual blinds apart to make out the whole view.

Through the window, I noticed a pair of people. One was a guy with unnaturally red hair with a strong build. He wore a blue and gold jersey with the name 'Andrews' on the back in gold lettering. Blue and gold must be the colors of the school he's attending. He looks like he could be a senior in high school. The other one was a girl who was a lot shorter than he was. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight ponytail that went down in curls. Her big eyes looked like they were smiling everywhere she looked. Her pale pink cardigan hung loosely around her shoulders. It looked like the two of them were in a hurry to go somewhere.

"Gwen, why don't you go out and explore the neighborhood. You don't want to be on your computer writing stories all day." Mom, I would rather be doing that than going into the outside world. She knows how I feel about social interaction. I turned my gaze away from the window to meet my mother's green eyes.

"Mom, you know how I feel about that. Can't I just save the greetings til tomorrow? It's where I'm going to get them anyway." I said, implying the dreaded first day of being the new girl at this new school. My mother's eyes went back to the cutting board, slicing tomatoes into thin circles.

"It's always to introduce yourself before then honey. Who knows, you might make some friends that go to the same school as you." She paused for a moment, waiting for the inevitable response. But she seemed surprised when I didn't say anything in return. "You know I heard that there's a famous place that's similar to a Steak and Shake. I believe it's called Pop's, or something like that. I'm not really sure. Why don't you go there and get us some dinner." I eyed my mom for a moment.

Why is she asking me to get dinner when she is clearly making it right in front of my eyes? Oh well, I'm not going to question it. There's probably a hidden reason behind it.

"Is there anything in particular that you want there?" I asked, making my way to the edge of the kitchen counter. My eyes scanned the counter, not trying to pinpoint a particular object.

"Umm...a strawberry milkshake." I nodded.

"Okay, I'll be quick." I grabbed my phone and my bag and headed out of the house into the great beyond.

It took me twenty minutes to find this place, even with Google Maps. How the hell is this place so popular if it's hard to spot? I guess it's a local thing. I stared up at the blaring red sign that read "Pop's Chock'lit shoppe." Just the light itself was painful for me to look at. But the sign was one of the only things that got my attention when finding my way over here.

The exterior of this place looked friendly enough. Its green walls with framed red windows made it look more modern than it originally looked. It had the feel of the shop from the movie Grease where Danny and Sandy go to eat when they are with their friends.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and gripped the strap of my bag. My mom's probably expecting me back soon, so I need to suck it up and go get her milkshake. Putting my eyes to the ground, I stomped my way into the shop making sure to avoid hitting people in the process. I didn't lift my eyes until I was completely encased in the building.

It's orange walls and tiled floor almost looked red with the way the light was showing. There was a considerable amount of people here, even a line towards the front counter. Looks like I'm going to be waiting here for a while, which means that I'm going to have to waste some time. My eyes scanned the area, surveying the possible places where I could be farthest away from civilization. There were only a few seats that weren't occupied. Everywhere else had at least two people sitting down.

God this place looks like the place for couples.

I let my eyes scan around as the line dwindled until I was at the front counter. A man with dark skin and a white hat tilted on his head. He had kind black eyes that looked slightly aged from a long time. What's the possibility that he could be the owner of this place?

"What can I get you?" The man's voice was deep as his tired eyes looked me over. He clearly looked surprised to see me here.

"Umm, do you guys have milkshakes here?" I asked hesitantly. My eyes scanned the menu above him, searching desperately for the word 'milkshakes'.

"We do. It's what we are known for." I nodded, showing that I understood his words. Good. So this was the place my mom was talking about.

"Okay, then may I get a strawberry smoothie?" I asked politely, attempting to put on my best smile. He nodded without saying a word, punching in digits into the cash register. I didn't waste any time pulling money out of my pocket and giving it to the man. He took it willingly.

"It'll be a moment, It'll be brought out to you when it's done." I nodded as a thank you and turned to face the rows of seats available, taking another look at the possible places I could sit. My eyes landed on a group of four people. One of them had short raven hair that went past her shoulders in a straight stylish fashion. Her purplish-red lips looked thin but seemed to expand when she smiled. On the other side, I could make out the back of a head with an oddly shaped beanie. Beyond the hat was dark black curls that looked like it went everywhere. I could feel my stomach rise to my throat.

 _Blonde Ponytail._

 _Blue and gold jacket._

The two people I saw earlier were sitting at that table.

Panicking I sat in the closest seat that was available, which to my luck was closer to the group than it was further away. I could feel their eyes on me as I rummaged through my bag in search of my laptop. Occasionally I stole glances in their direction, hoping to get clear that they weren't looking at me anymore. But whenever I did, one of them was looking in my direction. It almost seemed like they were interested in me.

It's probably because I'm the new kid.

After what seemed like forever I grabbed my laptop and placed it in front of me, wasting no time booting it up and logging into it. If I was going to wait here awhile, I needed a distraction from the feeling that everyone is looking at me. Once I got a new word document, I felt my anxiety ease a little. Writing stories is my way of escaping reality. It's a way to help me cope with everything that has happened to me. This way is safe for me to get lost in my own head.

Taking the first thing that came to my head, I let my fingers take over the keyboard. I could feel the words flowing out of me as my fingers played the keys like a piano. My words formed into sentences, which turned into paragraphs. I let myself express my feelings and suspicions on why I moved to Riverdale and the possible reasons why my mother was acting strangely when she was cutting those tomatoes.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around here before." My mind was forced back to reality by the sound of a female voice. It sounded friendly, almost too friendly if I think about it. I removed my eyes to face a pair of dark eyes with black eyeliner outlining the top lid and a friendly smile.


	2. The Crown Shaped Beanie

I should have ignored her and left myself standing. I wouldn't have gotten into this mess otherwise.

"Yeah, I just moved here," I said, not looking at this girl in the eyes. Who's in God's name possessed this girl to come and talk to me when I'm clearly not in the mood to talk. Usually, a normal person would get the hint and leave someone alone when they are sitting by themselves. I wonder if all of the people here are this way. If that's the case, then I'm going to have a hard time finding a place to write.

"Ah, I moved here a couple months ago." The girl smiled, showing her unnaturally white teeth. She either has a great dentist, or she's wealthy. She motioned her hand to herself. "My name's Veronica." She paused for a moment, waiting for my reaction and possibly a response from me.

My mind reeled, searching for the thing I was supposed to say next. It was like my mind just suddenly stopped working. Buy some time Gwen. I thought as I reached my hand towards her. Gently I placed my hand on the top of my screen and tilted it down to look like I was appearing to close my laptop to give her my full attention. My eyes glanced in the direction from which she came from. The three people at that table were looking my our general direction, talking to one another quietly. The wide eyes girl looked curious. The red-haired boy looked at Veronica and me.

And then there was the other one.

This was the boy where I couldn't see his face. The boy with the oddly shaped beanie. He had these furrowed eyebrows that made him look like he was in a bad mood, pasty skin with very little color. There were even dark circles under his eyes that made his gray eyes seemed brighter than they actually were. Strands of his black hair covered part of his forehead. This guy was the one that made me most uncomfortable.

And I don't even know why.

Both of us made direct eye contact for a moment before I diverted my eyes back to Veronica's dark irises.

"Gwen. My name's Gwen." I answered finally, bewildered by the intense eye contact with the boy.

"Random question, but are you happening to be enrolling into Riverdale High School?" Her question made it seem like she was anticipating for me to say yes. According to my mom, I was going to the school on the Northside of Riverdale. She made it very clear when she talked to me over the phone several hours earlier.

"I-I believe so. Is that the school on the Northside?" I asked dumbly. God by the way I was asking these questions, I really did sound like a foreigner. Veronica nodded, not making an effort to point out how clueless I am about this town.

"So, you're going the girl that Betty and I are going to show around school tomorrow. We were wondering what kind of person you'd be."

Wait…what?

Is that supposed to be a compliment? They were discussing what kind of person I would be when I got to this school? I guess some things about high school never seem to change. Also, the fact that I'm getting shown around surprised me. Out of all of the schools that I'm enrolled to, very few of them never had someone there to show me around. This was the first school in a long time to do something like that.

Not to mention that this whole scene right now feels like it could be from a cheesy dramatic television show for teens.

"Then it's a good thing we ran into each other," I answered honestly, taking a brief glance at the table. The people weren't looking at us anymore but instead talking about something with each other. The guy in the beanie had his eyes on the table, clearly thinking about something other than what the other two were talking about.

"Yeah, and we're going to make sure that you're going to survive this place." Veronica smiled. I exchanged a brief smile with her, one that looked a little forced. I was about to ask her about if I should watch out for anything or specifically anyone when I was saved by the waiter.

"Here you go, miss. One strawberry milkshake to go." The waiter spoke as he handed me a styrofoam cup with a lid tightly attached to it. I smiled briefly before taking the cup into my hands.

"I hate to cut this off Veronica, but I need to head back. My mother is probably worried and thinks I got lost." I said while completely closing my laptop and throwing it in my bag. "It was great to meet you, and I'll see you tomorrow in school." I stood up quickly, grabbing the cup in the process. Veronica stood up slowly, following my lead.

There was a look that passed between Veronica and Betty that I could not place. It almost looked like the two was planning something.

"Hey, why don't my friends and I walk you back. It's dangerous in Riverdale, especially at night." I looked at her and the group of people sitting at the table. Is that really a good idea?

The worst thing that could happen was getting robbed by these group of people. But Veronica seemed nice enough. She didn't appear like she wanted to take advantage of me. They all could be going to the same school as I am tomorrow.

But all I want right now is to be alone.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'd prefer to go back by myself. I need to figure out this town somehow. Maybe next time."

By the time I got back home, it was nearly midnight. My mom left the porch light on; I wonder if she was still awake and waiting for me to get home.

I approached the door and opened it without even a hint of caution. It opened loudly, sounding like the hinges haven't been oiled in years.

My mom was in the kitchen, cleaning off the dishes before stacking them next to the sink. She looked deep in thought when I placed her milkshake on the counter.

"One strawberry milkshake from Pops," I spoke loudly, making sure my mother heard me over the sound of the running of the water. Quickly she turned off the faucet and grabbed her milkshake, her hands still wet with the water.

"Thank you, sweetie. How was your run?" I rolled my eyes by how chipper she sounded.

"Honestly, I wish I didn't go. That was way too much social interaction for me."

"Social interaction is good. Besides you need to be able to make some friends. We are going to be staying for a while." I groaned in response to how cheerful she was being about this new place.

"Well, I'm going to head upstairs and start unpacking. Good night." I heard my mom respond, but I was already up the stairs and too far away to register her response. In a matter of moments, I bolted up the stairs and into what was now going to be my new room.

I closed my bedroom door with a soft click before turning around. Before I got here, most of the boxes that had my stuff were already shipped here. There were several boxes, all aligned on one side of my lilac wall, all marked in big black lettering. The luggage I bought was only a carry on for the long drive here.

So maybe it's a good idea to at least look like I had already started unpacking

With a press of a few buttons and an Exacto knife, I called up Ashlyn.

"Hello" She answered in a voice that sounded like a cartoon character.

"Hey, do you have a while?"

"If you mean all night? Yeah, what's up?" So while I opened boxes and looked through its contents, I told Ashlyn about my run in at Pops. I mentioned the confrontation with Veronica and the guy with the beanie.

It took a while for Ashlyn to process what I told her before she gave any response.

"Sounds like your day was pretty eventful." There was the sound of keys tapping in the background. "What was the name of the town you're living in now?" Her question slightly threw me off guard.

"Riverdale, why?" I questioned suspiciously. What in the world is she planning?

"I thought I heard something about that town a while back. I'm not sure where though." She paused for a moment while the tapping of computer key's continued on for a while. "Keep talking about this boy you're attached to now. What exactly does he look like?" I thought to myself for a moment. What would be the best way to describe him? He almost reminds me of an actor that I've seen a long time ago when I was a kid.

"He's like...an adult version of Cole Sprouse from the Suite Life of Zach and Cody, except he's more dark and mysterious." I paused for a moment. "Oh! And his hair is black instead of blonde, which is mostly covered by a beanie."

"Hmm, sounds like he's cute. Did you get his name?" I felt my stomach sink. How would I have gotten his name? He barely talked in the first place.

"Negative."

"Then how in the world am I supposed to find him on the Internet dude?!" Ashlyn practically screamed on the other side of the phone. I shrugged my shoulders, even though I knew she couldn't see me.

"I didn't think about it. I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow when I go to school."

"You better, or I'm going to have to drive there myself." I tried my hardest to stifle a laugh over the phone.

"Ashlyn, you're just as broke as me, if not more."

"I know." Ashlyn paused suddenly even though it sounded like she was going to say more.

"Girl, I think I just found something. I'll message it to you. It's bad, like really bad." Her sudden panic threw me off guard. What could be so bad that she couldn't tell me right over the phone?

"What? What did you find?" I heard her grab the phone and bring it to her ear. She must have had me on speaker and didn't want anyone to hear what she had to say.

"There was a murder there. A guy named Jason Blossom was found dead in a lake on 'Sweet Water River.' Here, I'll send you the full article." A couple moments later I felt my phone vibrate against my tan carpet. I didn't waste any time unlocking my phone and clicking on the link to the article that was written by the blue and gold.


	3. I Feel Like I'm Missing Something Here

I managed to leave my house with about thirty minutes early. I wanted to make sure that I had enough time to get to school, even if I got lost. But then again it's not a matter of it; but when. You see I'm not like those girls that just wake up on their first day of school and brush off the pivotal point like it's nothing.

Oh no. My anxiety won't let me do that.

If I have something big that I have to accomplish; my brain will go into overdrive and force me awake until it's done. Or if I don't get it done, then I'm just going to be up for the rest of the night worrying about it.

Hense what happened last night.

Luckily though I had Ashlyn to talk to and the sudden reveal of a mystery in Riverdale to keep me from having an anxiety attack from not being able to sleep. With how the people were acting here, something was up. And it wasn't just me who was curious about this town. Ashlyn was just as antsy about it as me. She kept urging me repeatedly to open the document and read it for myself. I think she just wanted to know my opinion about the whole matter, which isn't common for someone like her. If she's interested in something, Ashlyn will look up everything about it and then pester me by asking about a million questions before she's satisfied.

This time I don't blame her though.

This mystery has me tangled in its web. And I'm glad that Ashlyn is in this too. If there is anyone who has good research skills and a knack for solving mysteries; it's Ashlyn.

So after the billionth time of her asking me if I read it; I finally open the document.

I pretended that I was reading it as I skimmed through each sentence like it was a period. Words like "Jason Blossom", "Golden boy", "Football", and "Murder" stuck out to me. It was almost like they were urging me on. There was also a statement at the end of the article about how an investigation was still going underway.

So the murderer hadn't been found yet then.

Part of me was intrigued by this new piece of information. I wanted to dive into the scene and figure out who the murderer is. Maybe a new perspective could shed a light on who it could be. Someone who doesn't have any ties with anyone here could figure it out faster than someone who does. It would work.

But the other part of me is completely against it. This whole situation has nothing to do with me. Why fiddle in matters that don't apply to me?

I'm not going to be like those basic characters that suddenly want to know everything and get to the bottom of something that has nothing to do with them.

I might not even be here for long anyway.

People were hustling into the school like they didn't care if they were late or not. They all wore fancy, top of the line clothes that I couldn't afford, even with my college savings. And I'm pretty sure that one piece of clothing from anyone here is literally worth my entire wardrobe, plus everything in my room.

Talk about intimidating.

I took a quick glance down at my clothes. A dark burgundy sweater hung loosely around my body, the sleeves coming down to my elbows. Dark, tight-fitting skinny jeans made my legs appear smaller than they actually were. I topped off the look with a pair of black combat boots that were worn at the toes; along with my hair braided to the side.

My clothes weren't nearly as expensive as everyone else, but I at least didn't look like I came from the streets. Although I could have looked better if I wore a dress or something. But I wasn't feeling up to it and it was supposed to be cold today.

I stopped right in front of the school and looked up at its structure. Dread coursed through my body as the bold blue and chipped white paint coated the structure. I wish that I could have had another day to figure out this town before going into this prison. But beggars can't be choosers. I just hope that I can find Veronica right away so I don't look like the new girl.

Too late for that.

Taking a deep breath I made my way inside, a couple people behind me following my lead. The doors felt like lead the more I pushed them open. What the hell are these doors even made of? There's no way they should be so heavy. I managed to finally open the doors by prying them open.

A fresh wave of body odor and intense perfume filled my nostrils that made me want to gag. It nearly knocked the breath out of me. I don't think I'll ever get used to this kind of smell, no matter how many times I transfer schools.

"There you are Gwen." My gaze jerked up to meet with Veronica's dark ones as she approached me fearlessly. A blonde girl with a really tight ponytail and pink cardigan followed her close behind. She looked warily at me as if anything I did would disturb an invisible order. A pair of boys pushed me aside like they actually had somewhere to go. This gesture pushed me forward, closing the distance between me and Veronica.

"Uh...hey." I stood straight up while trying to regain my composure from being pushed. Warily I looked between the two of them.

"I didn't expect you to be here for another ten minutes." I instinctively at the space of my pants that enveloped my phone.

"Yeah, I...didn't want to be late." My words earned a look from the two of them.

"Well, before we start this tour of books, boredom, and cliches," Veronica gestured over to the girl in the ponytail. "This is my friend Betty. She'll be helping me with the tour since I know nothing about the history."

"It's good to meet you," Betty stated awkwardly.

"Likewise."

Not much was said after that as the three of us made out way along the halls. Betty talked about the history of Riverdale High throwing in facts here and there. Veronica would occasionally throw in comments that had to do with fitting in. I would sometimes throw in a snarky comment that got the two of them to laugh. A moment passed when all of us were silent.

"What made you decide to come to a small town like this one?" Betty questioned, walking in line with Betty. All three of their gazes were on me.

Oh god.

I knew this question would rise up sooner or later. Do I give them the answer that I've rehearsed a million times or do I actually tell these people? I mean they don't appear to be like the others. I swallowed a lump in my throat and spoke the words very carefully.

"My mom thought it would be...better if I finished off high school in a small school." I noticed the fault in my words, but the three of them didn't seem to notice. "I, however, was opposed to it." I quickly added.

"Well don't worry. There's plenty of us that want to get out of here as much as you do." Veronica responded.

"I think you'll fit in just fine here." I heard Betty speak over the chatter of the halls. She had a smile on her face, and not a plastered one, but a real one. It was like she finally accepted me into her little group.

Cool.

Maybe things won't be so bad here. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to stay here longer than any of the other schools.

I eyes scanned the area, sliding over everyone's faces until they suddenly stopped on a boy. He was on the other side of the hallway, his back leaning against the wall. Black hair was partially covered by a strange crown shaped beanie. His gaze appeared to be on the ground, his eyebrows furrowed in a way that looked like he was pouting about something. My eyes stayed on this figure for what seemed like forever before his gaze suddenly shifted. One minute his eyes were on the ground, the next they were directly daggered to mine.

I jumped back a few steps, startled by his sudden movement. My eyes darted away to the direction of Veronica, and Betty.

"Gwen, are you okay?" Betty asked, her tone slightly faltering. I responded quickly by nodding my head like a bobblehead.

"Yeah, I just scared myself for a second that's all." I attempted to shrug the shock out of my bloodstream. Okay, I did not expect that guy to suddenly look back at me. I'm used to just observing from afar and not having anyone return the gesture.

Veronica followed my line of sight across the hallway. A smirk rose to her lips.

"I have an idea. Let's go to Pop's later, just the three of us." Betty and I appeared taken aback by her sudden invitation.

To Pops? That was the place that I went to last night. What possessed her to suddenly invite the two of us so quickly? What exactly is she planning? But if I say no, then I would lose my chance at making friends here. And by the looks of where this town is going, I'm going to need some friends.

"O-Okay, sure. What time do I need to be there?" I ask, lacking the peppiness and excitement that I should be feeling.

"Six o'clock. We'll have a booth reserved for when you come."

With that, we continued on with the tour. But I didn't hear any of it. My mind was more focused on the time I was going to waste waiting to go to Pop's that night.

Unaware of the tragedy that would occur later that night.


End file.
